Brake head



c. F. nu moow.

BRAKE HEAD. APPLICATION F ILED APR 5, I920.

Patented Oct. 24,1922.

Patten ed (lot. 24, 1922.

are STATE CHARLES E. neivroon,

ratt er or CHICAGO. rLLrNoIs.

BRAKE HEAD.

' Application filed April' 5,

and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, I

and State o't' Illinois. have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Brake Heads, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to brakes tor vehicles and more particularly to means for securingthe brake-hanger to the brake-head on brakes used for railway cars.

vIn the use of brake-headsconstructed. as

. heretofore extensively employed, the brake shoes are frequently lost by reason of the brake-sl1oe key working ontin service, es pecially when the cars, are turned upside down, as for instance on coal tipples. This leaves the ranger link tree to swing out of the hrakchead groove; with the result that the brake-beam drops down on the track. Several forms of clips, o'rwedge keys have been used in the brake-head grooves in front oi the hanger with a view to holding the hanger in place even when the shoes are lost, but such. means have proven unsatisfactory, both in point of dependability and simplicity of construction. Such .reys are easily lost, and in any event loose ordetachable parts should always be avoided if integrally icrinedjor non-detaclnible means can be devised to answer the purpose. .I- propose to do away entirely with the extraparts irequircd for securing he hangers to the heads, as heretotore constructed, and instead of such-means I provide integral lugs cast on the brake-heads.

The main objects of the invention are to overcome the liability oi brake-hangers becoming disengaged "from the brake-head as heretol orc used. especially when the cars are tiltedv or turned upside down in dumping, as required in certain kinds of freight service; to provide an in'iproved and simplified "form of liu'ake-head and hanger fastening of this general character adapted.- both For interehangeable connection of brake-shoes and for ready connection and disconnection of the hanger in such manner as to preclude dropping of the brake frame, even when the brakeshoes are lost; and to provide in the brake-h ad an open-mouthed hanger slot having one or more projecting lips of similar but more or less irregular or serrated character adapted to prevent disconnection of part of the hrake-head as shown in Fig. 2

. 'eady for. swinging 1920. Serial No. 371,502.

the hanger link without first disconnecting the latter from its support. 1 ,An illustrative en'ihodinient of this inveniIOIi is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved brake-head and its hanger in their normal operative position with respcct to the truck.

trame, brake-shoe. key and. car wheel, the shoe,- key and wheel being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the brake-head and hanger in the position shown in Fig. 1 but with the brakeshoe removed.

F 3 is a tragmentary'view of the slotted but with the hanger in its initial stage iri the process of assembling onthe brake-head.

Fig. l is a similar view, with the hanger shown in its second stage of assembling.

V Fig; 5 is another similar view with the hanger in its third. stage of assembling,

back to its normal operative position. I, i

In the construction shown in the drawings the brake-head l is pivotally connected to the brake-hanger 2 and is swingahly supported thereby. Said brake-hanger in turn is 'connected pi'rotally to and supported by the truck frame 3 or a suitable lug thereon.

Said brake-head is provided on its active side or face with an interchangea-ble shoe *ii Secured in place by a locking pin or brake- :shoe key Said brake-head l is urged forcibly against the wheel 6 by the brake-beam 7, as usual in such devicesand as will be understood by those skilled in the art without further illustration or description.

The brake-hanger 2 is U-shaped, the connecting part 8 at theolower end serving as a pivot for the brake-head and the upper ends of the arms 2 being provided with ring shaped tips 9 to receive the pivot bolt 10 carried by the said frame 3.

The face of the blkikQ l'lGklCl is provided with atransverse horizontal slot or groove "11 adapted to receive the pivot part 8 of the hanger 2. In order to prevent accidental withdrawal. of the hanger 2, as by direct outward swinging from said slot, the lips of said slot are formed or provided with my improved stop means, namely a plurality of shoulders or lugs 12, one on each side in staggered relation, each extending part way across the month of the opening and so arranged and spaced that the hanger may be inserted between them as will be ex plained.

In the form shown in Fig. 2 these lugs 12 are of oblong, rectangular shape and each extends about, one-third or somewhat less Qanny be insertedsidewise with the arms 2 nearly perpendicular to the fa ce of the brake-head, and the hanger is moved hrst in one direction and then in the opposite direction. so that the leading arm may follow the more or less tortuous trend or curvature of the mouth apertureor slot past the plurality of retaining lugs, after which it maybe swung to its normal supporting position, as when the brake-head is mounted in due relation to'the truck frame and wheel. The hanger may then beconnected to said frame, the arms being well out of registry with the'slot opening between the lugs 12.

"lhe-brake-shoe is then applied, whereupon the brake is ready ior use.

It is apparent that displacement. of said hanger respecting said lugs is impossible without. disconnecting the hanger at 9 and swinging it to a position nearly at right-angle to the face 01" the brakehead, so as to register with the mouth of the groove 11.

lVith the form shown in Fig. 6 the hanger may be "dropped directly into the slot when turned to bring its middle part into parallel relation to said slot, as shown by dotted lines. It may then be secured by swinging it so that said part will be perpendicular to the main axis olithe head 1 and will'lie )artl 7 under the triangular l-u s 13 asshown by full lines, in which position it is hung when in use, as'will be understood by (50311- parison with Fig. 2.

lVhile I have chosen to show a pair of lugs in each of the specific illustrations, my

invention is not limited to any particular number of lugs, though I prefer a symmetrical arrangement of parts.

Although but two Specific embodiments oi this invention are herein shown and described, it is to be understood that some of the details of the constructions shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims, andtha-t the features of primary importance are common to both forms.

I claim:

1. A slotted brake-head adapted for interchangeable hangers, said brake-head having a distorted mouth for the slot with a pair of mutuallly spaced lip lugs overhz'inging the slot, one on each sicle of and adjacent to the ends of the slot to normally'retain the hanger therein, said slot being wide enough to provideside elearaneeand play for said hanger as great as the-overhang of said lugs.

2. A device of the character described comprising a brake-head having a slot therein, in combination with a brake-hanger having apart disposed longitudinally in said slot and normally secured therein, said bralrehead having a plurality of lugs overhanging saidslot on opposite sides thereof and in staggered relation to hold said part in place against transverse movement thereof, said slot as a whole being wider than said hanger part to provide for limited sidewise play, and the openings between the several lugs "and the opposite walls respectively being large enough to admit a side member of the hanger forthe admission and removal of said hanger part without appreciable tilt mg or swinging of said hanger on its said part as an axis. v i Signed at Chicagothls Qndday of April,

' CHARLES F. HUNTOON- 

